California Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Blog

Older Adults Can Improve Memory Simply by Taking More Steps

December 23, 2015 | by Yeroushalmi Law

It is well known that maintaining a physically active lifestyle is beneficial to health, but new research shows a further advantage—older adults who walk or jog more often perform better on memory tasks than their sedentary counterparts. The study, published in the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, implied that physical activity could prevent age-related memory decline and neurodegenerative dementias like Alzheimer’s disease.

Playing 3D Games Can Boost Memory Function in Older Adults

December 22, 2015 | by Yeroushalmi Law

Video game players can all rejoice—new research has shown that playing 3D video games can enhance memory, possibly offering a new way to maintain mental functioning as we age. Previous studies claimed that video games encourage a sedentary lifestyle, while violent video games have been associated with aggressive behavior and diminished self-control. However, many recent studies have shown that video games may have some health benefits. A study published by Medical News Today earlier this year reported that Tetris could decrease cravings, while other studies showed that story-based video games could benefit people with autism. Now, a study conducted at the University of California-Irvine (UCI) shows that video games could benefit people with dementia or other cognitive conditions related to memory, enhancing memory performance by as much as 12%.

New Research Shows Association Between Walking Speed and Risk of Alzheimer’s disease

December 21, 2015 | by Yeroushalmi Law

A recent study published in Neurology has shown that walking speed of older adults can be indicative of their risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers hypothesized that slow walking speed may be associated with plaque buildup in the brain, even if an older adult does not show external symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.

Stereotypes About Aging Can Negatively Affect Older Adults’ Performances on Cognitive and Functional Abilities

December 18, 2015 | by Yeroushalmi Law

Hearing and memory are both critical aspects of older adults’ daily communication and social interactions. A deeper understanding about how aging affects performance in these areas calls for an exploration of. A recent study conducted at the University of Toronto and published in the journal Psychology and Aging, explored the relationships between perceptions of aging, self-perceived abilities, and performance on tasks involving memory and hearing. The associations between these social variables had previously never been studied before among the older adult population. The study found that when older adults possess negative perceptions about aging, their confidence in their abilities to hear and remember things may diminish, resulting in poor performance at both.

Risk Factors that Increase the Risk of Disability in Older Adults

December 16, 2015 | by Yeroushalmi Law

Disability not only is associated with major adverse health outcomes, it makes an older adult require support due to challenges or dependency in performing activities essential to maintaining an independent lifestyle. The proportion of disabled older adults is a critical determinant of a society’s capability to overcome the problems of population aging. Dementia is often prevalent among older adults with disability and causes severe impairment. Critical risk factors that are association with disability are cognitive impairment and losses in mobility. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a potential risk for disability. The co-occurrence of slow walking speed and MCI may heighten this risk.

New Guidelines to Prevent Future Fractures of Older Adult Patients with Hip Fracture

December 15, 2015 | by Yeroushalmi Law

According to a recent article from Medical News Today, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Board of Directors authorized the Appropriate Use Criteria (AUC) for treatment and rehabilitation of older adult patients with hip fractures, as well as postoperative direction to facilitate in preventing the recurrence of fractures.

Reminiscence Therapy Has the Potential to Improve Cognitive Impairment and Depressive Symptoms in Older Adults with Dementia

December 14, 2015 | by Yeroushalmi Law

Many older adults with dementia suffer from cognitive impairments and experience depressive symptoms. These symptoms have the potential to reduce physical activities and mental wellbeing, impair social or occupational abilities, and debilitate health-related quality of life. Moreover, research has shown that depressive symptoms are significantly related to aggravated psychological functions in older adults with dementia. Thus, creating effective strategies to enhance their cognitive abilities and mitigate depressive symptoms are necessary. Reminiscence therapy, which calls for vocal or silent recall of past experiences, activities, and events in a person’s life by utilizing tangible prompts, has shown to be an effective intervention in the enhancement of psychological abilities and reduction of depressive symptoms in older adults with dementia.

Prescribed Opioid Dosage for Long-Term Care Patients Must Be Monitored

December 11, 2015 | by Yeroushalmi Law

The use of opioids in long-term care is prevalent. According to a recent report, 65 percent of residents in nursing home care facilities in the US used opioids for pain. A recent study investigated the opioid doses given to these residents due to their association with a variety of dose-dependent adverse drug events (ADEs), such as sedation, orthostatic hypotension, dizziness, cognitive impairment, constipation, and falls. Older adults with dementia are particularly susceptible to opioid adverse drug events. Currently, not much data exists on prescribed opioid doses in long-term care.

Long-Term Care Facilities Should Provide Nutritional Therapy for Patients with Diabetes and Risk of Frailty

December 9, 2015 | by Yeroushalmi Law

The International Diabetes Foundation has reported that by 2035, the number of patients with diabetes will increase to 590 million. The largest rise is projected among older adults, with an expected 252.8 million cases in 2035. Diabetes is one of the primary causes of disease burden among older adults. Not only do diabetic older adults have increased risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer, they’re also at risk of cognitive dysfunction, functional limitations, and disability. Frailty is also a critical predictor of disability. However, not much research has been done to explore the possible associations between diabetes and frailty, and the mechanisms that could clarify this relationship are unclear.

Antidepressants Should Not Be Used as the Only Treatment for Depressive Symptoms of Nursing Home Residents

December 8, 2015 | by Yeroushalmi Law

A recent study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association that explored whether the effects of depressive symptoms and antidepressant use at baseline predicted the subsequent decline in physical capability and number of hospitalizations in nursing home residents in Hong Kong. A supplement purpose was to understand the role of antidepressant use in preventing ADL (activities of daily living) decline and decreasing use of medical services. The study’s findings showed negative impact of depressive symptoms and indicated an important role of antidepressant use in altering the trajectory of physical recession.